5 Best VPN for Linux – (January 2017)

Linux is the most popular operating system and an open-source project as compared to its competitors Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. Most VPN providers recognize the great strength and popularity of Linux and support it in some way. The bad news, for some, that there are 250+ different Linux distributions available, but almost all VPN providers concentrate their Linux support to the most popular desktop Linux distribution available – Ubuntu.

ExpressVPN

This extremely fast VPN provider has servers just about everywhere, a no logs policy (no traffic logs, other logs are kept) and a generous no hassle 30-day money back guarantee. Linux support comes in the form of detailed setup guides for PPTP and OpenVPN in Ubuntu (with a link to PPTP Client on Sourceforge for other Linux distros).
ExpressVPN is mid-priced, which we think is a good thing as they have enough income to invest in proper infrastructure. At VPN Logics we’we actually only had 1 complaint about them in the last year, which is a better record than any other VPN.

They also have a 30 day moneyback guarantee, so you are pretty much using them risk free.

VyprVPN

VyprVPN is run by international consortium Golden Frog, and are located in Switzerland outside the scope of UK and US jurisdiction. VyprVPN has great 160-bit to 265-bit OpenVPN encryption and allows simultaneous connectivity to only 2 devices (or 3 for the premier package). It offers a 7-days money back guarantee and has apps for both iOS and Android.

However, the negative aspect of this service is that they aren’t cheap, but the price is still reasonable and well worth it for the quality service.

VyprVPN is the best VPN for the Linux, click below to visit them now!

Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access (PIA) carries a great deal of favor with us thanks to its no logs ‘whatever’ policy, and the fact that it accepts Bitcoin payments. Although the feature-laden custom VPN client is Windows and OSX only, PIA provides Ubuntu setup guides for PPTP and OpenVPN (text only). PIA did supply a configuration script to automate OpenVPN setup in Ubuntu, but this seems to have disappeared (hopefully to return, if the promised Linux client doesn’t turn up in the near future).

In terms of support for Ubuntu Linux, TorGuard is one of the best providers around, as it supplies a custom OpenVPN client with DNS leak protection in addition to PPTP, L2TP/IPsec and OpenVPN manual setup guides (with screenshots). Blazingly fast connection speeds, a no logs policy, and that it takes anonymous payment using Bitcoins all make TorGuard look very good on paper, but reports of bad DNS leakage from many of its servers, together with the many complaints we have received regarding its customer service, somewhat take the shine off this provider.

Linux is the poster boy for free and open source software development and distribution. Powerful, flexible, amazing configurable and highly secure, it is little wonder that Linux has moved beyond its humble roots as a server Operating System (although it remains the industry standard OS for servers) to the desktop and beyond.

Setting up VPN in Linux (Ubuntu)

Open Terminal window and type the following command to download and install the Ubuntu OpenVPN packages for Network Manager.

Sudo apt-get install network-manager-openvpn openvpn

Type the following command to restart the Network Manager.

sudo restart network-manager

Download the VPN provider’s OpenVPN configuration .crt file from your VPN provider’s website, and Extract them to a convenient location.

Make sure the ‘VPN’ tab is selected, now type in the VPN server address provided by your VPN provider in the ‘Gateway’ field. Now, go to ‘Authentication’ field, and under ‘Type’ menu select ‘Password’ in the dropdown list and enter your login credentials details. Now, click on the ‘CA Certificate Field’ and select .crt file from the location where you unzipped the OpenVPN Config files to in Step 2 above. Click on ‘Advanced.’

Check ‘Use LZO data compression’ (Note that this is optional or may require different settings depending on your VPN provider). Click ‘OK’ and hit ‘Save.’

Once connected! A tiny padlock will appear on the bottom right of Network Manager taskbar to notify you the VPN connection status.

Conclusion

Linux is a great operating system that frees you from the corporate shackles of Microsoft or Apple. If you stick with the mainstream of Linux users and opt for Ubuntu (or Debian), then support for Linux is almost as good as for rival commercial platforms. If you like to do your own thing and use less popular Linux distros, then more power to you, and you are probably already adept at toying around to make things work! Linux is already inherently a very secure platform, but this will not protect you against people spying on your internet traffic, so it is fortunate that support for the OS among VPN providers is generally excellent.

Kristen Michelle is a Security Evangelist and Managing Editor at VPNLogics. She spends most of her time in writing and researching about online security and privacy and helps others to raise awareness.